Goan bazaar recreated for World Goa Day

It was fun, food and festivity as Goans in Sydney celebrated their unique cultural heritage

August 20, 1992 is a significant day for the state of Goa, as its regional language Konkani was recognised as one of the official languages of India, and included in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution by the Indian Parliament. World Goa Day was introduced to commemorate the anniversary of this day and is celebrated by Goans all over the world with fervour and enthusiasm through showcasing Goa’s rich heritage, traditions, culture, cuisine, dance and music.

Keeping this spirit alive in Sydney, Goan Overseas Association (GOA) NSW celebrated its traditional annual World Goa Day with customary style and flavour at St. Gertrude’s Parish Hall, Smithfield on August 19.

Said Alwyn Henriques, Committee Member of GOA in his welcome address, “World Goa Day is an inspiration for future generations of Goans. To support this initiative and to make our motto ‘Proud to be a Goan’ a reality, our association here in Sydney makes a special effort every year to commemorate WGD by organising a day of celebration, thereby promoting our young and old talent and bonding our entire community together into a common celebration.”

And it was indeed a celebration as the venue was gaily decorated to recreate an authentic atmosphere of a Goan village bazaar with a large number of stalls dotted around the venue. From a nice mixture of small family businesses, to independent families eager to share their Goan delicacies with the guests, the stalls offered a variety of mouthwatering Goan dishes, bringing the distinct flavour of home to the venue. From sorpotel, Goan fish curry and rice, pulao, choris pao to Indian snacks like batata wadas and gulab jamuns, to traditional Goan sweets like bebinca, gram doce and desserts, guests enjoyed a culinary feast amidst a wonderfully festive atmosphere. A live band played in the background welcoming patrons as they arrived and visited the stalls for a scrumptious lunch, many ordering takeaways too.

It was an enlivening sight to see the 350-odd guests mingling and enjoying themselves prior to the cultural entertainment which began post-lunch.

It was a treat to help digest a hearty lunch as The Goan Mando Troupe (Rachel Menezes on organ, Ashley and Norman Menezes on violin, Noreen and Abel Rosario on percussion, Vincent Flor on guitar with Roy, Agnelo, Gerard and Sharmilla) led the Konkani mandos, Konkani dulpods and the Portuguese medley, creating a lively carnivallike atmosphere. Reminiscing was rife as a series of duets by various performers brought back memories of swaying palms and crashing waves from Goa’s still-pristine coastline. And finally, the Goan Kunbi and Portuguese Corridinho dances were enthusiastically greeted by the crowd, who joined in with fervour, adding their individual styles to the beats.

The GOA’s got talent contest was won by young and talented ‘Michael Jackson of GOA-NSW’ Francis Flor, for his awesome display of moonwalking steps. The other performers were the young singing duo Andrei and Ashwin Rodriques, Deanne do Rosario on the organ and Chloe Rosario (who also acted as MC for the event) giving a showstopping vocal performance. They were all awarded with the ‘Spirit of GOA award’, in keeping with the association’s policy of promoting and encouraging talent

No true Goan event is complete without the traditional raffle and bingo that nicely rounded up the afternoon’s entertainment.

Norman and Rachel Menezes said after the event “A very enjoyable and well organised World Goa Day. It was good to see the big turn out and the fantastic programme that kept the crowd going and have the best time ever. Talented Goans on stage and the children performing this time, was a very good idea and hope to see more next time.”

Ashley Menezes